07-08-12 The King (2005)

Seen: July 31st, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 6

This is a film that I put off watching for quite a while. From the trailers it seemed conflict heavy, filled with anger. And there is some of that, and perhaps it's at the heart of the story, but it's hardly the driving force in the film.

Psychosis is, and it's almost as frightening.

In essence, this is a revenge film. But the offense is both larger and more subtle than those that drive most revenge films. And the chance for atonement here is practically non-existent.

It'd be easy to dismiss Elvis as simply hell-bent on revenge. He's certainly effective enough at it. Another easy interpretation is that he's simply insane. That something has driven him past the point of no return. But I think it's even simpler than that.

Elvis has the innocence of child. And when slighted, and hurt by that slight, he reacts as a child. The problem is that he's not a child and his reaction carries the force of the man he is. He's really searching for the attention of his father. He's looking for the approval that he's never had. And he wants singular attention, and he's willing to do what it takes to get that singular attention.

Davis has his own problems. But at least he owns them, eventually. He's a disciplinarian, a bit Victorian, and closed-minded, but not really a bad man at heart. He hurts those around him in spite of his love for them. And he's about to get a dose of his own medicine.

The major conflicts happen fairly early, and things simmer down to a slow boil. The tension rises slowly and inexorably to an unexpected conclusion. The ending is a brave choice.

The film works, though not exceptionally well. There's a degree of moral ambiguity that is a bit confusing. Elvis' shift from sympathetic character to sociopath leaves us a bit unsettled and confused. While it does raise some interesting questions, it's short on answers, but maybe that's the point.

The cast is good. Bernal does an effective job. I think my problems with Elvis have much more to do with the writing than his performance. Hurt is solid. Again, David is a bit one-dimensional, but Hurt does his level best to bring some depth to the man. Pell James turns in an excellent performance and Paul Dano is surprisingly effective.

This is a good film, but not a great one. See it for it's unexpected storyline and some good performances.

The Good: Performances

The Bad: Lack of motivation

The Ugly: Being your brother's keeper